The following is re-posted on a request from a friend… And because I too cannot tahan such condescending, superficial, self-correct, ARROGANT nonsense!

Are you a Malaysian blogger, or a blogger who takes interest in Malaysian matters? Do you disapprove of self-important Datuks using their rank, influence, power and wealth to bully and insult others into meekly bowing to their inane perception of relaity?

Then I ask you to re-post the following testimony, and call on all Malaysian or Malaysia-interested bloggers you know to follow suit! Tell everyone you know about it.

It’s time to let the Very Condescending Bigshot Rich Datuks know, this is the era of IT, where all the little mice can make their voices heard through blogs and non-mainstream media! No more do you control all the channels of communication.

Bullying of the masses will not go unspoken of or unprotested any longer. Try it, and we will make you… ‘Famous’.

Upon arrival at Bilik Temuduga 10, we were told by our room’s interviewer that we need to wear a coat.

Nobody brought any coats from our room. We went out to search for a coat. Around 5 other guys in the entire interview had coats. So we borrowed their coats and passed them around.

When my turn came, I put on the coat and went in.

Right after I said “Selamat pagi Dato,” he asked me where I got the coat from. I said I borrowed it. He said how come I don’t even own a coat. I said the letter did not state that I have to wear a coat, or else I would’ve found one before I came. He scolded me and said I did not know how to interpret the letter.

He asked what kind of pants I was wearing. I said my grey slacks. He said how can that be formal. I said only have 2 pairs of slacks. One black, one grey. The black one, I wore to school on Monday, and now it is being washed. So, today I’m wearing my grey slacks.

He chased me out of the room.

He called me in again after a very long time. It wasn’t an interview. It was a dressing-down, humiliation session. He didn’t really ask me anything much. Here’s the gist of what he said:

I said, hidup saya susah. I explained my family background. And why I have banyak tanggungan.

“You are wrong!! Saya pun tak pernah tanggung orang macam itu. You must change the way you live.”

He looked at my shoes, and he said:

“Kasut kamu tak gilap”

I said, I cycle to school everyday. How to gilap?

“COME ON… YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT!!”

Well, if I don’t have a car, and my school is nearby, and I can’t afford to arrive in an Alfa Romeo, what’s wrong with cycling to school?“You pakai baju apa itu. Cina tak boleh pakai gelap.”

I said I’m a Christian, I don’t abide by such superstitions. I said by the way, my shirt is blue. Not black.

“Kamu bukan Cina kah? You must be proud to be Chinese… Malaysian Chinese…”

What does he know about being a Malaysian Chinese? We don’t get Datukships and awards like him. We can’t afford to be wearing designer clothes like him. We are not supported by the government’s silver spoon in our mouth from the day we were born. We have to struggle to take care of our families. What does he know?

That is the Teras Kelima in the PIPP. I explained that according to the PIPP blueprint, we are supposed to upgrade the intake system of teachers and improve the working environment of teachers. I wasn’t taking rubbish. That was the textbook answer.

He said, “Tak payah, tak payah. Kalau untuk kamu saja, macam mana?”

I said, “Kena memperbaiki imej, kalau menurut dato.”

He said “Gaji satu bulan berapa? Pergilah beli seluar…”

He even stood up to show me his slacks. He said must buy a pair that costs seratus lebih. That would be a good one.

I cycle to school everyday. My shoes aren’t shined. I can’t afford a pair of slacks that cost over a hundred bucks. I don’t have a coat. I guess I’m not fit to be a teacher.

Well, if they can pay me 4 grand a month, certainly the profession guru’s martabat will be dipertingkatkan, isn’t it?

If what I wear matters so much more than how I teach, my workplace is not in a musty classroom. I should be on the catwalk runway.

[…] – a very condescending Bigshot I am posting the story, at the request of my blogger friend Scott Thong, about how a Datuk interviewer treated a poor interviewee trying to apply for a post in the […]

Hi Scott. Thanks for the link to this. Interesting reading. How did you manage to transcript what the guy said to you? If yours is a fairly accurate account of what took place in that office then I agree that you should take action against this person and the treatment you received which from what you described was grossly unfair. But then it might affect your chances of getting work with this ministry and it might mean costly legal proceedings. Are you prepared to go the whole nine yards? If you are I am sure that there are organisations and people who would help correct this alleged injustice done to you.

Piece of advice if I may: please document the events and transcribe the conversation as accurately as you can. Compile one purely factual record of the dialogue in addition to the one above which has your later input. Also compile any and all other documents relating to your interview. This documentation will be important if you intend to pursue this.

Also, if you can, try to find out if there are others like you who have had to endure verbal abuse from this character. I’m certain that there are others; getting others to join you in coming forward will greatly strengthen your cause.

But I would advise you to think twice before bringing this to the next level.

No, I am not a crony or anyone related to the stupid goons in the government. Just a concerned blog reader.

All whistleblowers or truth talkers have to endure lots of pain, emotional sufferings and injustice even in countries like USA and UK where they have a good judiciary that protects these people.

People here may encourage you and fire up your spirits to bring this to the next level but at the end of the day, if you get unfairly treated because of this, I doubt any of the people that spurred you on initially would be around to help.

Yeah, it sucks and it’s frustrating. Getting treated like this and yet don’t have any ways of making it right. Most likely won’t get an apology at all. Remember the MPs that made the “bocor” joke? Did they apologize ? Both are Datuks oso.

Hi!, first of all i am saddened by the incident that had happened to you mousey. May i offer you some ways to channel this misconduct of senior civil servant? if ur story is genuine, and you wanted to correct this so that in future such undesrving people won’t be around, please 1. email to ksn at sidek@pmo.gov.my; 2. warkahuntukpm.com.my; or 3.bpa.jpm.my. these are the best channels for teachers aside from keeping it to themselves.